Suning Appliances, China's leading home appliance retailer, announced a plan to open 70 new stores in December, which would give it 1,350 stores by year's end.

Currently, Suning has 1,283 stores (23 in Hong Kong and 8 in Tokyo), while rival Gome has 1,255.

Suning's expansion plan doesn't target rivals, Vice Chairman Sun Weimin said.

China's business press carried the story above on Thursday. China.org.cn has not checked the stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.